Division block for balers



March 22, 1932. E E. WHARTON DIVISION BLOCK FOR BALERS Filed Oct. 15, 1928 INVENTOR. Eye/viz E War/07f ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 22, 1932 UNITED STATES EVERETT E. WHARTON, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI DIVISION BLOCK ron BALERS' Application filed October 15, 1928. Serial No. 312,450.

This invention relates to division blocks for baling presses and is particularly adapted for use in any type of baler in which the baling wire is inserted between the bales as they '3 are passing through the baler.

" The division blocks now commonly in use are made of wood with very little protection against wear and mutilation due to their constant contact with the retaining dogs of the press. When so mutilated and worn the grooves for receiving the baling wires become partially closed and it is very difficult to pass the wires between the bales. It is to overcome this difficulty that the present invention is designed.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a division block having oppositely disposed transverse grooves formed in opposite faces thereof respectively, and a shield adapted to span said block to engage said opposite faces and being provided with slots adapted to register with the open outer portions of said grooves, and means for firmly securing said shield to said block at each side of said grooves.

A further object of this invention is to provide a grooved division block having said grooves enlarged at their ends and a unitary shield of hard material adapted to completely bind all outer edges of the end portion of two oppositely disposed grooves positioned on opposite sides, respectively of said block.

Further objects of the presentinvention are simplicity and economy of construction, ease of manufacture and durability.

lVith these general objects in view as well as minor objects which will appear during the course of the detailed specification, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a division block for balers embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section taken on line IIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross section taken on line IIIIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4: is an enlarged fragmentary view of one of the shields in position on the blobli;

Fig. 5 is a detached, enlarged, perspective view of the shield.

Like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views and the numeral 10 designates a body member com- 15.6 prising central member 11 and parallel strips 12 so positioned and secured to 11 by nailing and riveting as to form grooves 13. This body member is preferably made of wood with the grain of the wood of 11 at right 0 angles to that of the strips 1:2 so as to prevent splitting, warping and distortion. The grooves 13 are preferably made dove-tail in cross section and enlarged at their extremities to better facilitate the threading of the wire therein and also to prevent the material being baled from entering the groove. The grooves 13 are formed on both sides of said block in such a manner as to position the corresponding grooves in alinement at right angles to the plane of the body member as shown in Fig. 2.

In order to protect the soft material of the body member 10 against the constant wear of the retaining dogs of the press in which the block is used and also to securely bind the parts of the body member together a shield member 14 is provided. Shield 14: is preferably made of a single piece of sheet metal but may be cast or otherwise formed, and consists of a body portion 15 with right angled side flanges 16 which are parallel and adapted to engage on both sides of the body member 10 as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Positioned intermediate the flanges 16 and parallel therewith are tongues 17 which are adapted to span the member 11 and be positioned in the grooves 13 at their base. Tongues 17 not only protect the slot, but serve as a smooth surface over which to guide the baling wire. Flanges 16 are bifurcated as clearly shown in Fig. 5, thus forming a slot 18. Also the body portion 15 is slotted at 19 to meet slot 18 thereby forming a shield which securely binds the outer portions of the slots to protect it against wear and to present a smooth metallic surface to the wire so that it may be more easily threaded into the grooves. Opposite corresponding portions of flanges 16 are provided with holes 20 I00 I V which are in axial alinement perpendicular to'the plane of the body member and are provided with rivets 21 which pass through holes formed insaid body member. It will be noted that the rivets 21 are spaced apart at either side of the grooves 13 and from the outer edge of the body member thusefi'ecting a very efiicient binding of the parts, of the body members and also presenting a metal protec tor for the block which will come in contact with the retaining dogs as the-block is passing through the baling chamber.v Each end of the block is provided with the shields 14 and since both sides of the block are identical sition; V

The block is also provided with a U-shaped' wear plate 22 which is positioned .on the central topportion and mortised thereon. This wwear plate is secured to the block by means 1 of rivets 23 which pass through holes formed in the wear plate and block, Any suitable r fingerhold recesses 24, may be provided ad- "acent the top ofthe block, for the convenu ience of the operator in handling the same.

4 In order to produce a substantially smooth surface at the ends and sides of the block the shields are mortised into the block so that no parts of the shields or rivets extend beyond the surface of the block. a a.

To facilitate the manufacture of the block the flanges 16 are preferably made with their outer portion semi-circular in form so that a rotary tool may be used to form the coun- 1 ter-sink in the side of the block.

I do not wish to limit this invention to the structure shown and described, as many modifications may be made within thescope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

WhatI claim is: r

1. A division block for balers comprising a body. member, oppositely disposed transverse grooves formed in opposite faces there- 1 of respectively, a sheet metal shield adapted to span saidbody member to engage the opposite faces thereof, slots in said shield adapted to register with the open outer portions of said grooves, tongues integral with said shieldextending inwardly to engage the opposite sides of said body member and rest on the bottom surface of the grooves formed in the opposite faces thereof with the outer surfaces of said tongues extending above the bottom'surface of its corresponding groove, and securing means extending transversely through said body member at opposite sides of said grooves to hold said shield in posi* tion. I

2. A division block for balers comprising a body member, oppositely disposed transverse grooves formed in opposite faces thereof respectively, a sheet metal shield adapted tospan said body member-to engage the opposit'e faces thereof, slots in said shield adapteither side may be placed in the forward posignature.

" EVERETT E. WHARTON.

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